A number of power tools have been produced to facilitate forming a workpiece into a desired shape. One such power tool is a table saw. A wide range of table saws are available for a variety of uses. Some table saws such a cabinet table saws are very heavy and relatively immobile. Other table saws, sometimes referred to as jobsite table saws, are relatively light. Jobsite table saws are thus portable so that a worker can position the table saw at a job site. Some accuracy is typically sacrificed in making a table saw sufficiently light to be mobile. The convenience of locating a table saw at a job site, however, makes jobsite table saws very desirable in applications such as general construction projects.
Table saws generally include a throat plate which is removably positioned on a workpiece support surface. By removing the throat plate, access to the arbor shaft is provided thereby allowing for different shaping devices to be mounted on the arbor shaft. In many known systems, the throat plate is attached within a well of the workpiece support surface by one or more screws. While screw provide the desired ability to remove the throat plate, a tool is generally needed to turn the screws. If the tool is misplaced, there is an undesired delay in switching the shaping device. Moreover, the screws tend to be quite small and easily dropped. If the screw is dropped into the throat plate opening, it can be difficult to find and retrieve the screw.
In view of the foregoing, it would be advantageous to provide a power tool with a throat plate which is quickly removed and secured. A throat plate which does not require additional tools in order to remove or reinstall the throat plate would be further advantageous. It would be further advantageous if the throat plate could be fastened without the use of loose parts such as screws.